Growing up, I took a different route than most girls. As a child, my girlfriends enrolled in gymnastics, dance or cheerleading; but I opted for a more nontraditional sport. I chose to twirl baton and continued the sport for seven years, participating in parades, performances and receiving trophies and plaques.

Now, my 11-year-old sister and her friends are following in my footsteps. Baton is becoming a more popular sport within elementary schools as a way for kids to stay active and safe after school.

Baton requires poise, creativity and balance and is similar to dance or rhythmic gymnastics. The sport focuses on routines that incorporate fluidity, creativity, flexibility and manipulation of the baton along with the level of skill or expertise the twirler possesses.

Baton twirling can be performed in educational programs, competitive atmospheres or just for fun. Back in my day, we competed in parades and concerts and often dressed our batons with glow sticks for night performances or traded them for flowing ribbons at Christmas time.

Not only did we dress and accessorize our batons with ribbons, lights, baton stoppers and more, our outfits told a different story for the commitment we had to create the most eye-popping appearances.

Performances were accented with aesthetics, beauty and outfits. I vividly remember the frills, sequins and leotards my team sported during parades and concerts. And, I may or may not have sported those outfits outside of our performances, but who’s asking, right?

Baton is just one option out of many for young athletes to get interested in becoming and staying active and it has definitely shaped the way I view practice, dedication and love for a sport.

-Ashley Macha